Duke  University  Libraries 
Report  on  the  c 
Conf  Pam  #387 

DTTDEED3bV 


HOrst;    OK    REPREtsEM.VTlVElS.   May    17,    r.s64.— Laid  on 
the  tubie  and  ordered  to  be  printed. 

[By  the  CiiAiK.] 


IR.EFOriT 


ON    THK 


CONDITION  OF  COVIilRNMI-NT  COTTON, 

Contiguovs  to  the  Mississippi  and  its  Tributaries. 


Tteasury   Department,  C.   S.   A., 
Richmond,  May  16,  1864. 

lion.  Thomas  S.  Bocock, 

Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives  : 

Sir:  In  compliance  with  the  resolution  passed  by  the  House  of 
Representatives,  on  the  9th  instant,  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  a 
copy  of  the  report  dated  April  9th,  1864,  made  by  J.  D,  B.  DeBow, 
Esq.,  General  Agent  of  the  Produce  Loan  for  the  State  of  Missis- 
Bippi,  on  the  condition  of  Government  cotton  contiguous  to  the  Mia- 
sissippi  and  its  tributaries. 

I  am,  very  respectfully, 

C.  G.  MEMMINGER, 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 


Columbus,  April  9,  1864. 

Condition  of  the  (htton. 

From  every  source  of  information,  it  is  certain,  that  the  cotton  in 
the  exposed  district  is  in  the  most  deplorable  condition.  Large  plan- 
tations are  abandoned  everywhere,  and  the  cotton  has  been  left  in 
sheds.  These  tumble  down  or  are  blown  down.  Stray  cattle  destroy 
the  cottou ;  soldiers,  particultrly  cavalry,  strip  it  of  the  ropes  and 


bag^'iii^,  or  make  use  of  it  for  beds,  scattering  it.  in  every  directiou  ; 
fires  are  of  frequeiit  occurence  per  accident  or  incendiarism  :  the  poor 
of  the  county  take  away  as  much  as  they  can  make  use  of;  runaway 
negroes  devastate;  thieves,  with  whom  the  country  abounds,  carry  off 
the  cotton  by  wholesak,  trading  it  to  the  Yankees,  or  hiding  it  in  inac- 
cessible places — they  do  it  at  night,  or  even  in  broad  daylight,  as  there 
is  little  law  in  the  country.  Even  those  who  have  sold  their  cotton 
to  the  Government,  in  their  desperate  fortunes,  regarding  themselves 
as  beyond  the  protection  or  reach  of  the  Confederacy,  sell  it  again 
to  the  Yankees,  upon  the  pretext  that  they  will  replace  it  out  of  the 
next  crop,  or  out  of  cotton  in  other  quarters.  They  justify  the  act 
by  their  necessities.  There  is  reason  to  fear  that  the  soldiery  are 
sometimes  implicated  in  the  guilt.  Parties  visit  the  section  with 
forged  powers,  represent  theTuselves  as  Government  agents,  and  take 
away  the  cotton,  using  force,  if  necessary.  General  demoralization 
prevails  throughout  much  of  the  entire  section,  reaching  to  every 
class.  Trade  with  the  enemy  is  universal.  The  temptations  to  fraud 
are  overwhelming.  Even  our  own  agents  are  often  charged  with 
complicity.  I  have  endeavored  to  procure  men  familiar  with  the 
country,  and  the  best  recommended.  They  report  it  to  be  impracti- 
cable to  prevent  the  depredations. 

Q;uantity  of  Cotton  in  the  District. 

From  the  reports  of  agents,  I  estimate  that  there  are  about  ten 
thousand  bales  of  cotton,  owned  by  Government,  remaining  in  the 
district.  It  cost  the  Government  from  eight  to  fifteen  cents  in  its  depre- 
ciated issue,  and  is  yet  capable  of  reimbursing  us  for  all  losses  in  the 
district.  The  cotton,  for  reasons  above,  is  generally  in  miserable 
condition.  Even  when  best  protected  and  guarded,  the  bagging  and 
rope  will  burst  after  several  ye&vs.  Most  of  the  representations  made 
to  Richmond,  and  to  which  the  Secretary  has  frequently  called  my 
attention,  ha\e  reference  to  these  cottons.  Those  in  other  parts  of  the 
State  are  receiving  constant  supervision  from  my  agents.  The  owners 
being  on  the  estates,  makes  the  matter  practicable.  Large  quantities 
of  cotton,  owned  hj  private  parties,  who  reside  out  of  the  State,  being 
greatly  neglected,  are  freqvently  reported  to  be  Government  cott&t\. 

Burning  Co/ton  by  the  Military. 

This  haa  been  accomplished  in  the  wildest  and  most  irrational  man- 
Jicr.  Under  the  influence  of  panic,  thousands  and  ten  thousands  of 
bales  have  been  burned,  which  the  enemy  could  not  possibly  have 
leached.  Even  in  presence  of  mere  cavalry  raids  the  torch  has  been 
frequently  used.  The  most  incompetent  persons  are  often  employed. 
The  greatest  possible  irregularities  occur.  Whilst  the  cotton  of  some 
parties  is  burned,  that  of  others  is  spared.  The  charge  of  collusion  is 
frequently  made ;  certain  it  is,  that  no  general  principle  has  been  ob- 
served.   Cotton  is  burned  and  no  receipt  given.    It  is  burned  at  times 


3  .1.  '7^'^ 

with  the  gin-house.  It  is  ordered  to  be  turned  out  for  burning,  and 
after  being  stripped  for  the  purpose,  is  left  imhurned,  to  be  destroyed 
by  the  weather  or  cattle,  or  to  be  carried  away.  It  is  burned  ruth- 
lessly and  madly,  in  places  remote  from  danger,  whilst  entire  districts, 
contiguous  to  the  enemy,  are  spared.  The  commanding  General 
(Johnston,)  admitted  this,  in  conversation  with  me,  and  deplored  it. 
Thus,  the  most  intense  heart-burnings  are  engendered,  and  much  of 
the  demoralization  among  the  people,  frequently  referred  to,  is  the 
result.  In  one  county,  (Wilkinson,)  the  cavalry  burned  public  cotton 
only,  leaving  the  private  cotton  untouched.  Private  parties  and 
holders  will  not  burn,  fearing  retaliation  from  the  enemy. 

Removal  of  the  Cotton. 

Frequent  orders  from  Richmond  have  come  to  remove  the  cotton 
from  the  exposed  districts,  and  a  large  organization  was  set  on  foot 
by  me  for  the  purpose.  Responsible  and  competent  persons  were  sent 
into  the  district  with  ample  means  nnd  authority.  After  an  experi- 
ment of  nearly  six  montlis,  the  Avhole  may  be  regarded  a  failure.  In 
that  lime  eight  hundred  bales  were  brought  out  from  the  south-west- 
ern counties,  at  an  expense  equal  to  nearly  the  original  cost,  and  sent 
to  Enterprise  to  be  stored.  This  was  regarded  a  most  eligible  poi»t, 
but  it  reached  there  only  in  time  to  be  largely  used  up  by  the  Sher- 
man expedition,  which  destroyed  also  such  as  was  en  route.  Had  the 
cotton  remained  on  the  plantations,  it  would  have  escaped.  Thirteen 
hundred  bales  were  removed  out  in  north-western  Mississippi,  and 
stored  in  the  vicinity  of  Goodman,  to  await  trnuop  Nation  on  the 
Central  railroad.  More  than  half  of  it  was  iui'iif.'  iiwiely  afterwards 
fired  by  incendiaries  nnd  destroyed.  Thi;?,  too,  though  a  guard  had 
been  ordered  over  it.  I  caused  ail  the  cotton  to.be  brought  out  of 
Panola  county,  h  no  sooner  reached  points  on  the  railroad,  than  it 
was  all  destroyed  by  the  military.  Six  thousand  bales  were  used  in 
Fort  Femberton.  I  was  in  the  act  of  having  it.re-bailcd  and  brought 
away,  when  the  cavalry  dashed  in  and  destroyed  it.  General  Pem- 
berton  advised  me  to  remove  all  our  cotton  from  the  Yiizoo  and  Talla- 
hatchie. I  asked  him  to  fix  a  place  fur  them,  which  he  would  regard 
secure.  He  named  points  on  the  Southern  road,  between  Morton  and 
Meridian.  Had  1  adopted  this  course,  every  bale  .would  have  been  lost. 
Four  thousand  bales  were  removed  by  me  from  north-eastern  Missis- 
sippi ;  1  carried  it,,  lo  be"  stored,  near  the  eastern  bor(icr  of  the  State, 
on  the  Tombigboo.  but  the  lough  handling  received  from  the  wagon 
and  the  railroad  has  put  much  of  it  out  of  oider,  and  extensive  repairs 
are  being  now  conducted.  This  cotton  was,  however,  saved  by  re- 
moval; but  it  is  exposed  to  accident  from  hre  by  such  large  aggrega- 
tion, and  I  have  sent  an  agent  to  procure  other  warehouses,  so  as  to 
divide  tiie  risk  in  several  parts.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  get  store- 
houses or  warehouses  Mobile  would  be  an  unsafe  point  to  store.  T 
cannot  often  build  stores  on  account  of  the  great  scarcity  of  materials 
and  labor.  They  are  absorbed  by  the  army.  There  is  another  great 
difficulty  in  the  way  of  removal.   The  planters  have  no  transportation, 


X 


and  there  is  little  in  the  country.  Horses,  mules  and  wagons  have 
been  taken  away  by  one  or  the  other  army,  or  by  the  enemy.  Where 
there  are  teams,  the  parties  will  not  accept  Confederate  money.  They 
cannot  vse  it.  I  have  been  compelled  to  pay  for  transportation  in 
sugar  and  salt,  bought  for  the  purpose.  The  necessities  of  the  crops, 
in  general,  require  all  the  teams  that  remain.  To  impress  them  would 
intensify  the  discontent  and  increase  the  demoralization,  thus  effecting" 
more  harm  than  good.  The  cotton  is,  besides,  in  no  condition  for 
transportation  for  any  distance. 

Exchanging  Cotton  for  Gold  or  Sterling. 

'  I  have  the  means  at  any  time  of  sending  agents  into  Memphis  or 
New  Orleans  to  transact  with  foreigners  or  their  consuls.  Citizens  of 
high  character  are  in  communication  with  me,  wishing  to  undertake 
the  business.  I  enclose  some  of  their  letters.  The  policy  of  such 
exchange  is  almost  universally  maintained  in  the  State  to  be  the  true 
one  for  the  Government,  I  have  received  assurances,  almost  official, 
from  Yankee  authorities  at  Vicksburg,  Memphis,  ISew  Orleans,  tltc, 
that  no  interference  would  be  had  in  the  matter. 

Exchange  of  Cotton  for  Q\iartermaster\<i  and  Commissary  Stores. 

The  War  Department  has  several  contracts  embracing  the  delivery 
of  Mississippi  cotton.  One  of  collossal  character  is  given  to  Mr, 
Pollard.  Thus  the  Administration's  virtual  control  of  the  cotton  will 
be  taken  out  of  the  Treasury.  I  have  the  evidence  that  Mr.  Pollard 
is  giving  out  sub-contracts,  and  their  numbers  may  be  indefinite; 
each  petty  sub-contractor  having  military  protection  to  take  out  the 
cotton  and  bring  stores.  Parties  that  1  know  to  be  irresponsible, 
have  likewise  obtained  contracts  at  Richmond.  I  have  the  lists  of 
articles  needed  by  the  War  Department,  and  the  price  they  are  pay- 
ing, and  can  have  a  responsible  agent  in  each  county  to  deliver  cotton 
in  all  cases  of  purchase,  and  turn  over  the  stores  to  the  nearest  quar- 
terma^ter,  obtaining  his  voucher  for  the  same.  Under  the  Pollard 
contract,  the  military  authorities  are  noVv  hauling  our  cotton  to  the 
vicinity  of  the  river,  to  await  the  arrival  of  stores,  and  if  there  is  any 
failure  of  such  arrival,  the  cotton  will  inevitably  he  lost,  either  by  act  of 
the  enemy  or  of  marauders,  with  whom  the  country  abounds.  This, 
too,  whilst  I  have  been  expending  large  sums  upon  the  very  opposite 
policy,  indicated  in  your  telegram  of  December  8th.  of  bringing  away 
the  cotton  from  such  localities. 

No  Time  to  be  Lost. 

Whatever  is  done  must  be  done  speedily.  On  the  most  intelligent 
and  reliable  testimony,  if  the  cotton  in  the  exposed  district  be  not 
parted  mth.  in  the  next  few  months,  it  is  irredeemably  lost  to  the  GoO-- 
emment.  Now  is  the  time  to  move.  Everything  favors  action.  The 
occasion  may  not  happen  again.     Better  to  part  with  the  property. 


even  for  treaeury  noteB,  than  to  incur  the  total  lops.     It  can  b*  soH 
for  them  at  from  eight  to  ten  tiinen  what  it  cost  the  Governmeut. 

J.  D.   B.   DeBOW. 
Genentl  Agent  Produce  Loan. 


Supplemental. 

Since  the  preparation  of  the  preceding  pages,  a  letter  from  the  De- 
partment, of  date  March  31)th,  requires  some  remarks.  It  has  been 
shown  that  no  adequate  plan  of  protection  can  be  organized  for  the 
cotton  in  exposed  districts.  There  are,  of  course,  exceptions  to  the 
general  rule,  and  upon  these  exceptions  the  Department  may  rest 
satisfied  I  am  actively  employed.  There  are  representatives  of  this 
oflBcc  in  all  the  counties,  who  are  doing  what' is  practicable,  and  whose 
reports,  hereafter,  will  be  very  valuable  in  implicating  individual 
wrong-doers.  Redress  will  be  very  remote  and  difficult.  If,  under 
the  circumstances,  the  Government  determines  not  to  part  with  its 
entire  property,  these  agencies  will  be  kept  up  and  increased,  and  all 
other  resources,  secret  as  well  as  open,  will  be  exhausted  in  securing 
as  much  as  possible  of  the  cotton. 

The  exposed  district  embraces  either  the  whole  or  a  part  of  the  fol- 
lowing counties  :  Panola,  Tallahatchee,  Bolirar,  Sunflower,  Lafayette, 
Yallabusha,  Carroll,  Holmes,  Washington,  Yazoo,  Issaquena,  Madison, 
Warren,  Claiburne,  Copiah  and  Amite,  Jefferson,  Franklin,  Adams. 

According  to  the  best  estimate  that  I  can  make,  there  have  been 
destroyed,  out  of  cotton  bought  by  me  in  Mississippi  : 

Balea. 

By  cur  military  authorities 35,000 

By  accidents  of  various  sorts. , 5,000 

Taken  by  the  Yankees,  &c 10,000 

Total 50,000 

This  is  somewhat  more  than  a  third  of  the  entire  purchases  in  the 
State.  My  record  book  shows,  in  detail,  against  each  individual  lot 
bought  by  me,  in  a  column  left  for  the  purpose,  what  has  occurred  to 
that  lot ;  and  before  the  meeting  of  Congress,  or  very  soon  after,  I 
will  send  on  a  transcript  of  this  book.  It  will  be  found  to  support 
the  above  aggregate  statistics. 

In  reference  to  complaints  made  to  the  Department,  I  have  this  to 
say  : 

Ist.  They  are  often  from  parties  who  are  interested  in  subserving 
some  purpose  of  their  own,  or  whose  schemes  have  been  interfered 
with  by  the  action  of  this  oihce.  The  S'»fr»'fary  can  understand  that 
this  is  likely  to  happen. 

2d.   They  are  from   persons  who  act  from   hearsay,  or  who,  having 
no  practical   knowledge  of   the   subject,   do   not  know  what  is   being    ■ 
done,  (11  what  can  or  cannot  be  done.     They  can  point  out  evils,  but 
are  impotent  to  effect  a  rtriudy. 

3d.  They  are  from  persons  who  deal  in  exaggeration,  and  often  in 


<lownright  falsehood,  I  have  hal  to  deal  with  too  many  of  these,  not 
to  understand  it.  This  is  not  among  the  least  evidences  of  demoral- 
ization. Every  day  reports  are  brouglit  to  me,  which  investigation 
proves  to  be  utterly  false. 

4th.  They  are  from  those  who  honestly  err,  i.  e.,  they  see  large 
quantities  of  cotton  exposed  to  ruin,  and  hear  that  it  is  Government 
cotton.  This  occurs  all  the  time.  It  is  believed  the  Government 
owns  all  the  cotton,  whereas  two-thirds  of  the  cotton  in  the  State  is 
private,  and  being  owned  often  by  capitalists  outside,  whose  agents  are 
unfaithful,  it  is  in  perfect  luin.  The  Secretary  will  remember  the 
case  of  the  cotton  seen  by  the  President  at  Meridian.  In  the  very 
town  of  Columbus,  five  hundred  bales  of  private  cotton,  in  utter 
decay,  is  believed  to  be  Government  property. 

5th.  Without  doubt,  many  of  the  parties  who  report  are  honest  and 
true  men,  and  represent  the  facts  ;  but  it  would  be  well  for  them  to 
fiirnish  me  a  copy  of  their  letters,  for  my  action,  and  I  trust  the  Sec- 
retary will  cause  this  to  be  done. 

My  headquarters  have  returned,  some  time  since,  to  Columbus. 
During  the  period  of  my  agency,  nearly  two  years  and  a  half,  they 
have  been  at  some  points  in  the  State,  with  the  inconsiderable  excep- 
tion of  the  period  when  the  Yankees  have  driven  me  to  Alabama,  and 
even  in  these  cases,  their  organization  was  kept  up  complete  by  my 
deputies  and  ;igents  in  the  different  counties,  regularly  reporting  to 
me 

Nine-tenths  of  the  time,  I  have  been  personally  present,  and  ac- 
tively employed  at  my  post,  and  sincerely  believe,  that,  under  the 
peculier  circumstances  which  have  existed  in  Mississippi,  I  have  done 
nearly,  if  not  quite,  everything  that  was  practicable  to  protect  the 
Government  interests. 

.1.   D.   B.  DkBOW. 

It  should  be  added,  that  the  cottons  not  in  the  exposed  district  are 
being  looked  after  very  carefulh  by  special  agents,  and  that  they 
have  not  yet  sutlered  materially,  and  can  be  save<l.  The  latest  in- 
structions covering  all  agencies  are  annexed. 


Instructhns  to  District  and  County  Agents. 

Produck  Loan  Office,       ^ 
Columbus,  Miss.,  April  4,  18(54.  S 

Sir  :  You  are  requested  to  examine  carefullj^  into  the  condition  of 
<iovernment  cotton  in  your  county,  a  list  of  which  is  enclosed,  and 
report  to  this  oifico  the  facts. 

Should  the  c6tton  be  found  insecurely  sheltered,  or  otherwise  neg- 
lected, 01-  in  bad  condition,  it  is  expected  that  you  will  notify  the  par- 
ties having  chart^e  of  it  to  give  the  same  immediate  attention,  under 
their  contract  to  •'  take  due  and  proper  care  of  the  cotton." 

Should  the  said  parties,  after  reasonable  notice,  not  take  the  ne- 
cessary steps  for  the  preservation  of  the  cotton,  you  are  empowered 
to  have  the  matter  attended  to,  at  the  expense  of  the  Government,  and 


your  duplicate  vouchors  will  be  paid  by  mo.  In  ^^ach  cases,  the  jtar- 
ties  will  be  held  liable  for  the  cost,  except  an  lor  circuuistauces  of  a 
very  peculiar  character. 

What  the  Governnieut  experts  is,  that  its  cotton  will  be  .shellere<l 
from  the  weather  and  from  cattle,  and  where  the  bagging  or  rope  have 
been  removed  by  unauthorized  parties  or  depredators,  that  the  party 
in  charge  of  it  shall  replace  the  same  with  boards  and  hoops,  and 
where  buildings  are  injured,  cause  them  to  be  repaired. 

Agents  are  requested  to'  ascertain  and  report  all  the  facts  connected 
with  alleged  lo6S  of  cotton  from  fire,  or  any  other  cause,  and  in  rebail- 
ing  will  use  boards  and  hoops. 

In  cases  where  co'.ton  is  left  upon  abandoned  estates,  the  agent 
will,  if  no  arrangement  can  be  made  to  place  it  in  charge  of  some 
neighbor,  cause  the  cotton  to  be  removed  to  a  secure  location,  taking 
the  receipt  of  a  responsible  party,  who  will  undertake  its  custody. 

Agents  will  report  to  me  at  least  twice  a  month*  in  detail. 

J.  D.  B.  DeBOW, 
General  Agent  Produce  Loan. 

This  circular  is  but  a  reprint,  with  some  emendations  of  previous 
circulars  sent  from  this  office.  It  is  published,  also,  in  the  leading 
papers  circulating  in  Mississippi. 


3 


pHS.5 


